Holding Back the Years
by mmm.weasleymen
Summary: FIRST CHAPTER REDONE! Five years after Hogwarts, Hermione Granger is asked to defend an old enemy. The key witness is someone she never thought she would see again.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: This is my very first fic and I am extremely nervous about it. Any feedback you could give me would be great. I want to thank my wonderful beta Mystique for taking up this story and for helping me in my time of need.  
  
After this chapter, I will flashback to the Hogwarts years-where the mass of the story will take place, but it will go back and forth between past and present.  
  
Holding back the years,  
  
Thinking of the fear I've had for so long.  
  
When somebody hears,  
  
Listen to the fear that's gone...  
  
Holding back the tears.  
  
There's nothing here has grown.  
  
I've wasted all my tears,  
  
Wasted all those years.  
  
Nothing had the chance to be good  
  
I'll keep holding on...  
  
-Simply Red  
  
~~  
  
Hermione Granger was sweating. She never sweated. In fact, she was once noted as exhibiting cool intellect under pressure. This would have been fine and good, but the situation she found herself in now was beyond pressure. The twenty-two year old ex-Gryffindor picked up her quill and began writing on the parchment in front of her that was already cluttered with words like "heresay" and "fallacies".  
  
"Are you okay, Hermione?" whispered the blonde sitting next to her. "You're shaking."  
  
"Y-yes Draco, I'm fine." But the truth was that she far from being fine. She was sitting in the Ministry of Magic, defending an old enemy at a hearing that could mean death for the ex-Slytherin. Not only that, but she about to cross-examine her best friend, a witness for the prosecution.  
  
In her sixth year at Hogwarts, Arthur Weasley became the Minister of Magic after Cornelius Fudge resigned from the post. More like booted out, she thought to herself. The redheaded patriarch of the Weasley family was known for his fondness of all things Muggle. Therefore, the Ministry adopted something close to the Muggle legal system. Not everything was the same, of course, in place of a judge and jury was the Minister himself. Instead of a business suits, briefcases, and pens-- robes, stacks of parchment, and quills were used. And of course, that fact that witnesses often apparated onto the stand and a blast of blue sparks out of the tip of a wand demanded silence in the room instead of a banging gavel. Things were a lot less formal in this setting than in a real muggle courtroom.  
  
"-your witness," she heard the opposing advocatus (wizard attorney) say as she snapped out of her reverie.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath, stood up and walked over to the witness stand. She couldn't help but smile as she approached her best friend of over ten years.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter." She grinned wider at the bemused look on his face.  
  
Harry raised one eyebrow and smirked at the business-like tone in Hermione's voice. "Good afternoon to you too, Miss Granger," he said with a small nod.  
  
"How ARE you?" Hermione had to ask; she hadn't seen Harry in ages. Well, it seemed that way, it was really only a few months.  
  
"Good. You haven't been over for months, Hermione. We've missed you." He had such an earnest look on his face that she felt a stab of guilt.  
  
"I know," she sighed, "Been busy with my job and all, but we'll catch up soon, I promise. I've missed you both terribly too, tell Susan-" A quiet cough brought Hermione back to reality. She'd almost forgotten where she was and why she was there.  
  
She looked up at the kind face of the man she once thought of as a second father with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Minister, I'll move on."  
  
He studied her with sad eyes before he replied. "Thank you Miss Granger. Whenever you're ready."  
  
Let the questioning begin. "Mr. Potter, where were you on the night of 6 August 2002?"  
  
"On a mission with my partner. We were informed by a reliable source that the Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange," he practically spat out the woman's name, "was holed up in a warehouse on the outskirts of Bristol."  
  
"What did you see when you arrived at the warehouse?"  
  
"We found Draco Malfoy, wand raised, hovering over the body of-of...her, along with the bodies of Dean Thomas and his wife Parvati Patil-er-Thomas."  
  
"Did you actually see the accused kill anybody?"  
  
Harry gave her a withering look. "No."  
  
"Thank you Mr. Potter. That is all." She gave Harry a small smile, as he step down from the stand to show there was no hard feelings. Relief washed over her as he returned it before he dissapparted.  
  
Hermione walked back to her seat with a feeling of dread. She knew what was coming next and she didn't know if she could handle it. Just then, a stubborn voice, which sounded amazingly like Professor McGonagall, came into her mind. 'Of course, you can handle it. Can I? Yes! You are  
  
Hermione Granger. Record holder for most NEWTS in the history of Hogwarts. But it's been three years. You faced down Lord Voldemort and lived. You CAN do this.'  
  
"Witness for the prosecution, Auror Ronald Weasley."  
  
She froze. She heard a "pop" and knew that Ron was now on the witness stand. As Justin Finch-Fletchly began to question him, she heard his voice and closed her eyes, but refused to look up. Hermione hadn't heard that voice for almost three years and she felt like a bucket of cold water was thrown over her head. Merlin, she missed him. Tears began to sting the back of her eyes and she started to shake. She couldn't do this.  
  
But just as these thoughts formed in her head, the soft voice of Arthur Weasley pierced through them.  
  
"It's your witness, Miss Granger."  
  
Hermione's head snapped up at the sound of elder Weasley's voice. She gulped hard and took a deep breath. As she braced her arms on the table in front of her to push herself up, she realized her knees where trembling. She walked slowly to the witness stand, looking deliberately anywhere but at Ron. When she finally walked as far as she could go, she lifted her eyes to meet his. A breath caught in her throat as she saw the whirlwind of emotions in his eyes. It was something she had never seen before. In the swirling depths of blue, his eyes looked happy and sad, nervous and excited, devastated and relieved all at the same time.  
  
They continued to stare at each for what must have been only a few moments, but felt like much longer. Hermione was known as someone who always spoke her mind, but when she opened her mouth address Ron, nothing would come out. She tried again-SAY something, you nit. Hello, Mr. Weasley, how are you this afternoon? Hey, Ron. Long time, eh? Come on, say something...anything! She continued to open and close her mouth wordlessly looking exceptionally like a goldfish, she suspected. Until finally, one word escaped that was so quiet and breathy, it sounded very close to a sigh.  
  
"Hi." Hermione inwardly cursed herself for sounding so pathetic. She still loved Ron; she couldn't deny that, not with him sitting right in front of her looking as handsome as ever, his red hair cut short and stylish. But that didn't mean he had to know that.  
  
"Hi," Ron replied with a small, sad smile on his lips. The former Head Girl practically melted into the floor when she noticed he still had those dimples that kept her mesmerized for so many years. He proceeded to look her up and down, as if burning the image of her into his head. He lingered on the curve of her hip for a moment before he titled his head slightly and caught her eye again. "It's been a long time, kitten," he said in a low, rumbling voice. Hermione realized, to her shock, it sounded positively seductive.  
  
"Y-yes, it has," she said before she could stop herself. She winced at the squeaking quality of her voice. And damn him for making her stutter. She needed to put a reign on her emotions and take charge of the situation. Hermione lifted her chin defiantly and asked her next question in very controlled voice. "On the night in question, you arrived at the abandoned warehouse with your partner Harry Potter. Is that correct?"  
  
Ron must have noticed this, because the expression on his face turned into one of indifference. "Yes," he said in an almost bored voice.  
  
Hermione, sensing that the slight innuendos and longing looks had come to a end, seized this opportunity to get down to the business at hand. She began firing off questions as if Ron was merely a normal witness and not someone she had a long and tumultuous history with, he responded in kind.  
  
"Who arrived first, you or Mr. Potter?"  
  
"I showed up before Harry. He went around back to check to perimeter and I walked up directly to the top floor."  
  
"When your partner arrived, you already had Mr. Malfoy in custody, is that right?"  
  
"Yeah, I did." Ron seemed quite proud of this fact.  
  
"Please, tell us exactly what you saw."  
  
"Er-right well, when I opened the door, there was explosion and I heard a load of screaming, followed by what sounds like two bodies hitting the ground. When, the dust cleared, I saw Malfoy with his wand raised, standing over the bodies. That's when Harry came in."  
  
"So, you didn't actually witness Mr. Malfoy attack anybody?"  
  
Ron looked at her as if wondering why she was even questioning his credibility. "Well, it was obvious, wasn't it? Malfoy pointing his wand at the victims, towering over him like some great bloody Death Eater. There was blood on his robes, Hermione! I had to take him in, didn't I?"  
  
"Well, that is what we are we are here trying to determine," Hermione responded curtly and as an afterthought, she added "and I would prefer if you called me Miss Granger."  
  
Ron was livid. His face and ears turned a deep shade of maroon and began to sputter indignantly. "Y-you CAN'T be serious! After everything we've been through, you can't possibly expect-"  
  
Hermione was not about to go down that road, so she decided a change in tactics was in order. "When did you first meet Draco Malfoy?"  
  
She asked the question so abruptly, Ron could do nothing but give a shocked "What?!"  
  
Justin Finch-Fletchly spoke up at this. "I object, Minister. This line of questioning has no bearing..."  
  
Being the educated advocatus she was, Hermione interrupted his objection with what she thought was merely common sense. "I am attempting to show that a pattern of prior animosity towards Mr. Malfoy by Mr. Weasley could have provoked the witness into making an unfounded determination.  
  
In order to provide a logical pattern, I must start from the beginning."  
  
Arthur Weasley, up to this point, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely watching his youngest son and former girlfriend bickering like old times. In fact, he was listening to them; head propped up on his fist with a small, wistful smile of his face. When he was addressed directly, however, he looked to be caught off guard. Pulling himself out of his stupor, he gave a meek reply. "Okay-er-I mean, I will allow it."  
  
Hermione gave the Minister a respectful nod before turning back to Ron. "Mr. Weasley, please tell us when did you first meet the accused?"  
  
"On the train to Hogwarts, first year," he said with a roll of his eyes.  
  
Hermione was not to be discouraged and continued her line of questioning. "What happened during this exchange?"  
  
"He came into the compartment where Harry and I were sitting," he replied and then smirked as he added, "having just been interrupted by some bossy, little know-it-all with hair bigger than her head."  
  
Hermione narrowed her eyes and gave Ron a dark look. "Very amusing," she said, making it clear that she thought it anything but amusing. Her hair was still an extremely sore subject for her and he knew that.  
  
"I thought so," he shrugged, not seeming to notice her anger. He went on to say. "He apparently wanted to make an alliance with Harry, but he told Malfoy to bugger off." Ron grinned at Draco as he included off-handedly, "and then he insulted my family."  
  
Hermione glanced at Malfoy and she saw him looking wide-eyed at Arthur. Apparently, even he knew that insulting the Minister of Magic's family was probably not the best thing to do, especially when said Minister was deciding the outcome of your life. She felt bad for Draco, she really did, but she had to keep digging up his past misdeeds in order to prove her point. So, she went on.  
  
"Did he continue to insult you throughout the rest of the year?"  
  
"You know he did," Ron answered. Off Hermione's sharp look, he muttered scathingly, "I mean, yes, Ms. Granger."  
  
"And second year? Did this behaviour continue? You did try to hex him, didn't you?"  
  
"He called my girl a mudblood! I had to do something, I couldn't just stand there and let him get away with it, could I?"  
  
"Ah, but she wasn't your girl at this time, was she?"  
  
Ron's face suddenly got very serious. He peered into her eyes with an almost pleading look. "She's always been my girl."  
  
Hermione was completely dumbstruck. Did he really mean that? Could it be possible that he still loved her as she loved him?  
  
"Okay." It was an affirmation of acceptance. Maybe it wasn't too late, she thought to herself. All they need was some time alone to talk things over and then they could move on...together. She smiled up at Ron and he smiled back, his eyes unusually shiny. She was just about to suggest that they meet for tea, when she remembered he was sitting on a witness stand. The trial!  
  
Pulling herself together, she tried desperately to get back on track. "Uh...I mean...that is," she sputtered helplessly.  
  
She tried again to speak, this time successfully; "This pattern of insulting each other went on for years, correct?"  
  
"Yeah, up until sixth year." Ron looked away when he said this, he seemed to suspect where this was leading and was reluctant to go there.  
  
"What happened during sixth year that changed your view towards each other?"  
  
To be continued... 


	2. 2

"Dear, do you have your trunk packed and ready to go for when the Weasley's arrive?"  
  
Hermione shook her head slightly to clear the distressing thoughts floating about her mind when she heard her mother's voice. She looked up at her mum standing in the doorway of her room holding a laundry basket in her arms and a carefree smile on her face. Adelene Granger didn't know the danger her only daugher would be in when she went back to Hogwarts for her sixth year. The danger she was always in, nor would she ever know.  
  
Sirius Black was dead. He was murdered by his cousin because of ignorance and loyalty to a wizard who didn't care about anything but his own power. Sirius left them in a very troubled time; the war had started.  
  
Hermione couldn't help but think of Harry. He was so angry and distant last year, even before his godfather was killed. She wished she could help him, but she didn't know how. The only thing she could offer Harry was her support and comfort. But would she be able to provide that for him? Hermione tried to be supportive last year by giving him rational advice during the crucial times that came up. But he didn't look as though he very much appreciated it. In fact, her best friend seemed to get even more aggravated, sometimes hostile with her when she tried to help.  
  
Then, she thought of Ron. Her thoughts always came back to Ron. What exactly was going on between them? They didn't fight as much as normal. At least, he didn't. He seemed less confrontational and backed down almost instantly when she said something rude to him. Hermione did it on purpose and she was not very proud of that fact. She was just so frustrated with him, with herself that she was willing to do and say anthing to get a rise out of him. Yes, even use Viktor Krum to try and make him jealous. When that didn't work, she resorted to insulting him. Not conciously, of course as she didn't really mean those horrible things she said to him, but they came out of her mouth nonetheless. He was still overly protective of Ginny and Harry, but his infamous fiery temper simmered more often than not with her. She was so angry with him for getting excited about Harry kissing Cho, when all the while he wouldn't make any sort of move forward with her. Did that mean he didn't fancy her anymore? Yes, she knew Ron fancied her a bit, she wasn't naïve. He matured quite a bit in the last year; maybe he grew out of his feelings for her? Was it selfish of her to think about these things while a war was going on?  
  
"Hermione?"  
  
"Hmm?" She saw that her mother had moved further into her room and was standing next to her bed looking at her expectantly. She tried desperately to remember what it was her mother asked. Ah, the trunk. "Oh..um yes. I'm all packed and ready to go," she said with a small, forced smile hoping her mother wouldn't cotton on.  
  
However, it seemed as though her efforts were in vain when the older woman gave her a comtemplative look before speaking again."What's wrong, dear?"  
  
"Nothing," she said looking away quickly. She prayed this would be answer enough for her mum to accept, so maybe she would leave her alone to think.  
  
She was disappointed yet again when she felt rather than saw the mother sit down on the bed next to her. "It doesn't sound like nothing. You can tell me anything; you know that, don't you? Is it Harry?"  
  
"What about Harry?" Hermione was confused. Why would her mother ask about Harry? Did she know more about the magical world than she thought?  
  
"Are you two having problems?"  
  
She was even more bewildered than before. "What are talking about?"  
  
"Well, you are seeing each other, aren't you? It's all right, your father and I aren't upset. You are a bit young to have a serious boyfriend, but I do understand. I was your age once too, you know?"  
  
Well, that answered her question as to whether or not her mother knew more than she was letting on. She knew nothing of her life if that is what she thought. Hermione wished boys was the only thing she had to worry about and not the fate of her friends and her world. At that moment, she realized she grew up without parents. The very thought instantly brought tears to her eyes. From the time she was 11 years old, John and Adelene Granger had stopped guiding her life and started being relatives whom she visited on holidays. It hurt to know that they had little to do with the young woman she had become. How could she know, at such a young age when she first received her invitation to Hogwarts, that she would be so distant from her parents in six years time? Hermione held back a sob as the guilt of choosing magic over her parents began to build inside her. It was no one's fault really; it just happened and she didn't regret it, not even a little.  
  
"Oh, Mum," she said in such a forlone tone that her mother instantly came to the wrong conclusion.  
  
"Why are you crying? Did you get in a row? Did he do something to you?"  
  
She decided to be honest with her mother about this instead of letting her labor under a miscomprehension. "Mum, Harry and I are not dating. We never have and most definitely never will."  
  
"Is that why you're crying? Because he doesn't like you the way you like him?" The older Granger woman said this in an all-knowing almost patronizing tone that would have angered Hermione if she had not been in such a sad state.  
  
"I am crying because I've just realized how little you really know about me; my friends, my world, my life."  
  
"I don't understand," her mother said with a slight frown.  
  
"Yes, I know. That's why it is so upsetting. Mum, I don't fancy Harry; we're best friends, that's all. Besides, whether I fancy some boy or not, it should be the least of my worries right now. Why would you think that anyhow?" Then again, why would she think any different? It wasn't as though they were all that close. She only saw her mum during Christmas and summer holidays. Even those visits were getting shorter and shorter every year. Last summer, she spent only two weeks there before leaving for Grimmauld Place. And now, just ten days into the summer before her sixth year, she was getting packed to go to the Burrow again. Her mother didn't seem to care all that much either. Could it be that she was just used to it as Hermione herself was?  
  
"Well, you do spend all your time with him and you always go to the Burrow to see him. I guess I just assumed."  
  
Hermione frowned deeply at this. "Mum, I don't go to the Burrow just to see Harry, you know?"  
  
"Well, yes I know you like to visit with Ron and his family. They are very nice people, although they are a little strange, I admit. Especially Arthur.wait a moment, you don't fancy Ron, do you?" Adelene Granger seemed simply appalled by this suggestion and even looked as though she were trying to hold back a laugh.  
  
Anger boiled up in the pit of Hermione's stomach, but that didn't keep the blush rising to her face at bay. "What if I did? What would be so wrong about that?" she said furiously, her voice getting louder and more defiant with every word.  
  
Her mother looked shocked at her daughther's outburst. "Nothing, dear. He is a very nice boy, but he is a bit. silly, isn't he? Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind. He just doesn't seem to be up to your standard."  
  
Enraged, Hermione jumped up off her bed to face down the older woman. "Ron is NOT silly! Well, sometimes he is.but that's not the point. He can be silly, yes, but he is also caring and loyal and brave and-and." Her mother cut her off before her voice could start trembling.  
  
When she spoke, her mother's tone was one of patience and false understanding. "No need to get so upset, dear. I know he's your friend and you care for him. He has grown into a fine young man considering all he has had to go without. You don't have to defend him to me."  
  
Hermione closed her eyes painfully. If her mother only knew how much the Weasley's did have. Sure, they didn't have much as far as material things, but they made up for it with love and consideration. She had come to think of them as family. Molly and Arthur were like second parents to her. They could never replace her own of course, but they showed her how true love could flourish amidst the madness of the magical world. Ginny was like the sister she never had. Someone Hermione could confide in about the things she couldn't talk about with Harry or Ron. The twins were her annoying older brothers whose troublemaking ways infuriated her to no end. Above all their mischeif, however, she secretly adored them. She loved Harry beyond reservation and she would do anything for him. And Ron.well, Ron was a different situation all together. Yes, they were her family and she loved them all.  
  
Of course, she couldn't tell her mother all of this. As truthful as it was, she was unwilling to hurt her mum that way. So, she said the only true thing she could say. Hermione leaned down to embrace the woman who should have been part of her life but wasn't, not really. "I love you, Mum," she said, a single tear running down her cheek.  
  
"I love you too, dear. Now get ready, your friends will be here soon," her mother replied, happily oblivious to it all.  
  
Three o'clock found Hermione and her parents sitting on the sofa of their living room staring at the fireplace. Arthur Weasley had once again arranged for the Granger's home to be connected to the Floo Network. The Granger's started, as usual, when a blast of green flames announced the arrival of Ron and his father. A tall, balding man stepped out first and Hermione immediately rose from her seat to meet him.  
  
"Hello, Hermione," Arthur said putting an arm around her shoulder to hug her briefly.  
  
She grinned widely as she looked up into his kind face. "Hello, Mr. Weasley. It's so good to see you."  
  
Hermione then looked over at Ron, who was standing to the left of his father. They stood there staring at each other not saying a word. Arthur glanced back and forth between for a moment with a knowing smile before addressing her parents and leaving them alone to greet each other.  
  
"John! Adelene! How nice it is to see you again. It has being quite a while, hasn't it? Is that a fellytone?" his voice settling into the background as Mr. Weasley shook her father's hand.  
  
Hermione took a step closer to Ron and took in his appearance. He was wearing tan trousers and a bright blue shirt that seemed to bring out his even bluer eyes. His hair looked quite different too. He must have used some kind of oil or potion to style it, because it looked very stiff as though not even a windstorm would disturb it. She couldn't help but smile. He looked adorable. "Hi, Ron."  
  
"Hello," he said as he smiled back with that lopsided grin that never failed to cause havoc to her insides. He took a step toward her with his arms slightly outstretched as if to hug her, but seemed to think better of it as he stepped back again. Hermione, having none of that, flew into his arms and hugged herself to him tightly. Ron hesitated before wrapping his long arms around her and leaning his chin against her shoulder. She took a moment to breathe him in. He smelled of the outdoors and cinnamon. He always smelled like cinnamon. Her head spun as she felt one strong hand move to her lower back to pull her even closer for a split-second before letting her go.  
  
Still in his arms, she said softly, "I've missed you." To her disappointment, as soon as she said this, he released her as if he had been burnt.  
  
"Hermione, it's only been a week," he said looking down at his shoes. She could see that he was blushing because the tips of his ears and sides of his neck were as red as his hair. When he spoke again, it was so quiet; she could barely understand him. "But I reckon, I missed you too." He looked up at her then with a mischeivous look in his eyes. "No one around to nag me except my mum, unnerving that."  
  
She hit him hard on the arm and rolled her eyes, but an amused smile on her face all the same. "Honestly."  
  
"Ready to go, you two?" Arthur asked them.  
  
They both nodded and Hermione went to fetch her trunk, but Ron stopped her before she could. "I'll get it," he said with a bashful smile. Her heart fluttered deep in her chest and she could feel heat rising to her cheeks, as it so often did around Ron.  
  
She walked over to say goodbye to her parents and promised to write them frequently. When she returned, Mr. Weasley handed her a fistful of floo powder from a small brown pouch. She stepped into the fireplace slowly and waved to her parents one last time before taking a deep breath. "The Burrow!"  
  
The first thing Hermione noticed when she stepped out of the fireplace of the Burrow, was the absence of the riotous noise she had come to associate with the Weasley home. Just as she was beginning to wonder where everyone was, a streak of red hair came flying through the room and into her arms.  
  
"Hermione!"  
  
"Ginny!" She hugged the younger girl as if her life depended on it. "I've missed you so much." And she did. True, it had only been a week, but when you see someone every day, you miss them when they're gone.  
  
"Me too. I have so much to tell." But Ginny was cut off, when Mrs. Weasley physically pushed her daughter aside to greet Hermione.  
  
"Hermione, dear. How are you? You look too thin. Come in the kitchen and let me cook you something." Mrs. Weasley said all this very quickly, all the while squeezing her so tightly that she could barely catch her breath.  
  
Ron must have noticed her flailing arms, because he decided to rescue her from his mother. "Mum, let hear breathe, will you? She's only just got here. Let her settle in."  
  
Molly finally let her go and addressed her youngest son. "No need for that, Ron dear. You can take her trunk upstairs to Ginny's room while we girls catch up."  
  
"Mu-um," Ron pleaded, but Molly gave him a stern look and he backed down. "Fine." His shoulders drooped as he sulked over to where her trunk was and proceeded to drag it up the stairs.  
  
"Come, dear, let's get some food into you," the older woman said, leading Hermione to the kitchen. "We're expecting Fred and George any moment."  
  
The girls just sat down at the table when they heard one, then another, telltale "pop" of someone apparating right outside the kitchen.  
  
"Do we smell free food cooking?"  
  
Fred and George walked into the room sporting the ugliest dragon-hide shirts Hermione had ever seen.  
  
"Never underestimate the value of a free meal, I always say." Fred said as he grinned winningly at his mother. He then glanced over at Hermione, whom he just noticed sitting there. "Hermione, you splendid to see you. But where ickle Ronniekins? From what I hear, our dear little brother spent 20 minutes combing his hair this morning, isn't that right George?"  
  
"Indeed." George nodded, both of them sniggering under their breath.  
  
Hermione looked away blushing. What did they mean? Did Ron do that for her?  
  
"Boys, quit teasing Hermione," Molly scolded.  
  
"Well, if we don't, who will?" George said, as though he took the job very seriously.  
  
Just then, Ron walked into the kitchen and grabbed a biscuit off the table.  
  
"Ah, here he is. Spiffing 'do, little bro," Fred said, waggling his eyebrows.  
  
"Quite fetching," George agreed.  
  
Ron's face turned a deep shade of maroon and glowered darkly at his brothers. "Shove off!"  
  
"Hey, no need to get so upset, little brother. We were just complimenting your efforts." George said holding up his hands in mock surrender, but they were still laughing.  
  
Ron glared at them furiously. "Yeah? Well, do it somewhere else"  
  
"Don't mind Fred and George, they're just letting off some steam. It's been a postive madhouse around here lately," Ginny whispered, rolling her eyes.  
  
"It's alright," Hermione replied. And it was. She felt happy for the first time in months, since before the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Hermione looked around the room at the faces of the people she loved. The only one missing was Harry. He would be there in a few weeks when Dumbledore deemed it safe. But for now, she was glad to be back in the magical world with her extended family. She beamed enthusiastically when she caught Ron's eye from across the table. She was home.  
  
A/N: Sorry that the first part was such a downer. This chapter was very hard for me to write. (Especially since I had to do it 3 times!) I felt that in order for Hermione to have a serious relationship with Ron, she would have to face up to some hard truths about her life, starting with her parents. Reviews would be lovely, if you are so inclined. Thanks. 


End file.
